Officially named the M4A3(76)W HVSS, but generally known as the Easy Eight. At the end of August 1944 a new suspension was designed for the M4 series, allowing greater mobility as well as heavier armor. The result was a highly effective medium tank. The vehicle was mass-produced beginning in late March 1945, with a total of 4542 the М4А3(76)W tanks with both suspension types manufactured.

The E8 Sherman is a quicker, slightly better armored version of the M4 Sherman. It also has an upgraded 76mm gun with an improved rate or fire and better accuracy. Considering all this, the M1A2 should not be overlooked on the upgrade path in comparison to the M1A1 as it really brings out the E8's strengths. However, despite the increased armor compared to the M4 Sherman, the E8 is still a very soft target and will be easily destroyed if it stays exposed to enemy fire. Finding a balance is a necessity and is excellent practice for the American mediums that are to follow, which all share a similar lack of armor. Its strongest point is its excellent mobility. It accelerates very quickly on all grounds, and loses little energy in turns which makes it an ideal flanking tank. Anyone who underestimates this gem will very soon become a smoking wreck. It is sometimes nicknamed the "E8" or "Easy-Eight."

Compatible Equipment

Compatible Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Excellent rate of fire from 76 mm guns. With a rammer and vents to further boost RoF and 100% crew, the M1A2 can fire once ev

Good speed and maneuverability. On most grounds you can hit 45 and above with 100% crew and fully upgraded tank. Maintains sp

Ability to use Vertical Stabilizer (equipment)

Thick and wide gun mantlet coupled with excellent gun depression allows the use of hull-down tactics

Thick beak and glacis plate makes cresting a bit safer than for most tanks

Cons:

Penetration is insufficient against many higher tier opponents, and often struggles against the sides of tier 8 tanks.

Low penetration and alpha damage on top gun, compared to other Tier 6 mediums

Somewhat large and tall, making it easy to hit

Transmission is mounted in the lower glacis, although it is well protected.

Does not have particularly good acceleration for a flanking medium, although it maintains speed well and turns very quickly.

Performance

If you enjoyed the M4, but wished it was faster, then you'll love this tank. Like the M4A3E2, it gets the more powerful Ford GAA engine. Unlike the E2, it doesn't have a bunch of extra armor welded on. As a result, this tank is fastest and most maneuverable of the Sherman variants. It can also take advantage of a Vertical Stabilizer. Tier 6 tanks of other nations cannot. It can be quite helpful on a fast and maneuverable tank such as this one.

The E8 has 2 strongpoints in it's armor; the turret and the 101mm glacis or beak. The thick turret and gun mantlet plus the E8's amazing gun depression makes hull-down tactics possible and safer. The 101mm beak armor plating is similar to other tanks of the similar chassis. It's the same slope as the front upper armor plating and a few angles can bounce the KV-1S's feared 122mm D25T gun and give a chance for the E8 to retreat and regroup or engage and destroy the enemy with the M1A2's superb rate of fire.

Run and gun tactics are a must with the E8, as it has enough speed and maneuverability to circle many heavier tanks due to their inferior turret traverses. The higher than average gun depression angle allows the E8 to take up hull-down positions quite effectively as well. With the rapid rate of fire the E8 can devastate tier 7 and below tanks.

The E8 tends to be most successful in a flanker or sniper role. It has the speed and maneuverability to succeed at flanking where the E2 couldn't. This lets it hit the sides more easily. However, make sure your target is busy with one of your team mates, or more often than not you'll be the one dying, instead of your target. In a sniping role, you reduce the chances of being hit by being far away, but your gun will have a harder time penetrating, and in this role your high rate of fire can be a liability rather than an advantage, since the enemy will likely be able to see you as long as you're firing.

Unfortunately, with the addition of the Cromwell medium tank on the British line, this tank becomes somewhat redundant, as the Cromwell can do anything the Easy 8 can do, except it's faster and smaller with a higher penetrating and damaging gun with better accuracy. However, there are a few niche bonuses to the E8 somewhat beneficial to use - the ability to use Vertical Stabilizer (if you can afford 500k for it), thicker effective hull armor, and the decent turret armor when combined with the gun mantlet.

While the 76mm M1A1 and M1A2 may only seem to differ in rate of fire, it is important to note that the M1A2 is slightly more accurate than the M1A1, which can make all the difference in this tank's role of providing support for better armored vehicles. Adding the vertical stabilizer makes the M4A3E8 with a 76mm Gun M1A2 a formidable opponent in close combat as well. By circling the enemy, the E8 is more than capable of devastating higher tier tanks with the high rate of fire. A wolf-pack of E8s can be a devastating force on the battlefield.

On a side-note: if the E8 were accurate to its design during WWII, the E8 would have wet-ammunition storage automatically, an evolutionary improvement over older models.

Early Research

Upon purchasing this tank, immediately install the Wright Continental R-975C4 engine and upgrade the radio, which you unlocked on the M4.

Next work on upgrading the turret and getting the M1A2 gun, which increases the rate of fire and has better accuracy.

Go from there.

Historical Info

M4a3E8 at army maintenance depo in Korea

The official name is the M4A3(76)W HVSS, but "Sherman Easy Eight" is the nickname this tank is widely remembered. Sherman M4A3E8 earned the nickname from its experimental E8 designation. This new variant entered into WWII late in the war (Dec 1944), and was kept in service in various western allied nations deep into the Cold war.

Evolutionary differences from the prior Sherman variants

"Wet ammo rack". Storage of ammunition in the floor of the tank

This tank sported the much-vaunted HVSS (horizontal volute spring suspension) wide track and suspension upgrade. HVSS suspension increased the Sherman's weight by 2950lbs with the T66 single-pin track and 4780 lbs with the T84 double-pin track. HVSS allowed the installation of wider tracks, thereby decreasing the tank's ground pressure, and eased maintenance on the running gear since the bogie no longer had to be disassembled to remove road wheels. HVSS also provided more wheel travel, which gave the tank an easier and more stable ride, it also made the tank a much more stable firing platform.

The turret was also enlarged to accommodate the more powerful 76 mm gun. Muzzle velocity of the 76 mm cannon, the vehicle's primary armament, was 792 m/sec, causing penetration of 101 mm of armor at a distance of 1,000 yards (914 m). Maximum range of the cannon in indirect fire mode was 15,000 yards (13,716 meters). From it's predecessor, the M4A3E8 inherited glacis sloped to 47 degrees to the vertical, while driver and co-driver vision slots were changed to periscopes housed in the top of the hatches.

M4A3E8 Sherman Left Side

The most significant change that distinguished the "Easy Eight" from it's predecessors was the "wet storage" of ammunition to reduce fire risk in the event of penetration from an enemy AP round. The primary place of storage of ammunition was moved from the side of the turret (dry storage) into protected folders on the floor of the tank under the turret (wet storage).

Production of "Easy Eights" began in early 1944 and continued until April 1945. The "Easy Eight" became the standard tank of the American 3rd and seventh Army in Europe, and after the war, was successfully deployed in Korea and the Middle East. In the postwar years, it was included in the armament of various Western Allied armies. A total of 4,542 M4A3 tanks of both suspension types were produced.

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Historical Gallery

M4A3_105_mm_Medium_Tank,_Sherman

M4A3 105 mm Medium Tank

M4A3 76 mm Medium Tank in Europe in early 1945. Has add on armor kit and an additional 30 cal MG above the loader's hatch

M4A3 76 mm Medium Tank

M4A3E8 Australian M4A3E8 on the Korean battlefield

M4A3E8 Castro enters Santa Claka in Sherman tanks

M4A3E8 Che guevarra in front of the E8 tank

M4A3E8 General PAtton in front of the M4A3E8 tank of the 14th Armoured Division

M4A3E8 Medium Tank at the Patton Museum in Ft Knox, Kentucky

M4A3E8 Medium Tank with the 761st Tank Battalion outside of Nancy France on November 8 1944

M4A3E8 of the 781st Tank Battalion leads Combat Team 398 elements through the Camp de Bitche March 1945

M4A3E8 tank stuck on a provisional bridges during the fighting on the German city Grossbliederstroff in Saarland. Tank is in a state of 749th Tank Battalion. 18th február 1945th